The 3/5 Marines reported "a definite increase of enemy harassment" and the movement of sizeable enemy units into the Go Noi Island area (.mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}1551N 10812E / 15.85N 108.2E / 15.85; 108.2). [1]:154, The ROKMC sent three companies to close the southern link and then moved forward into the attack. On Jan. 30, a 15-man commando squad penetrated Da Nang Air Base and another squad blew up the "Sector Bravo Combat Operations Center," just 1,000 meters from I Corps headquarters. Considering the amount of ordnance that the enemy expended, casualties were relatively small. Da Nang AB was nicknamed "Rocket City" due to the large number of attacks by 122mm and 140mm rockets. Base orientation brochure, Perimeter, Tent City. PAVN/VC gunners, however, continued to be active and shot down a Marine CH-46 attempting to insert a reconnaissance team into a landing zone in the hill mass in the western sector of Da Nang below the Ty Loan River. The Communists carried out 26 rocket attacks on the Da Nang air base during 1972. In a sweep of the area, the defenders found ammunition clips and bloodstains. "[1]:142, On the evening of 28 January, just west of Hiu c, a Marine squad from Company C, 1/7 Marines ambushed a three-man VC reconnaissance patrol. Local villagers told the Marines that at least one VC had been killed in the brief skirmish. The USAF 620th Tactical Control Squadron established a control and reporting post (CRP) code-named Panama on the mountain in 1964 to support operations from Danang Air Base. . Again, the Marines killed the VC and once more foiled an apparent enemy demolition effort. The bulk of the attack force remained in Ha Vang Village bogged down in a firefight with local Popular Force (PF) and Regional Force (RF) troops reinforced by a USMC Combined Action Platoon (CAP), E-3. "[1]:163, Another possible explanation was that the Da Nang attack may have been a secondary assault, to cause as much damage as possible and divert Allied forces from the almost successful effort of the PAVN/VC forces to capture Hu. Army forces in the Da Nang area including the troops from Task Force Miracle suffered 18 dead and 59 wounded. A detachment of four LVTP-5s from the 3rd AmTrac Battalion quickly arrived, but the enemy had already departed. The task force headquarters and its two battalions returned to Chu Lai Base Area the following day. Simultaneously, the division ordered the helilift of a company from the 3/5 Marines to reinforce the ARVN and the CAP Marines. The Allies claimed 343 PAVN/VC killed and 195 prisoners. He later confided to Davis, "Bill, your phone call was right on the money! A contingent of South Vietnamese Nng mercenaries from the Special Forces Thng c Camp took over the defense of Hill 52 from Company M.[1]:158, Still the Marine command believed the new positions of Company M not only covered the approaches to i Lc, but provided the division with another reserve force. The Marine companies then pulled back and called in artillery and air. "[1]:1434, Before the PAVN/VC forces launched their attack, the commanders prepared to read to their troops a directive supposedly prepared two weeks earlier by the Presidium of the Central Committee of the National Liberation Front. After a brief firefight, the VC troops withdrew taking any casualties with them. Linking up, under artillery and air cover, the two Marine companies continued their advance until forced to halt because of darkness and then took up night defensive positions. [Peter Halferty photo]. Even in the face of the artillery, the PAVN continued their advance upon the Marine positions. They also mortared and rocketed MAG-13 at Chu Lai on 31 January 1968. Some 36 of the large missiles landed on the main base, including the airfield. (Photo by PhotoQuest/Getty Images) PURCHASE A LICENSE Get personalized pricing by telling us when, where, and how you want to use this asset. Allied intelligence officers identified members from the V-25th, R-20th, C-130th Battalions and the Q-15th and Q-16th Local Force Companies. Noting the new web gear and weapons with the PAVN bodies left on the battlefield, Marine intelligence officers believed the PAVN unit to be from the 31st Regiment. Both Marine companies encountered heavy small-arms fire and RPGs as they approached their objectives. The air base at Da Nang was, therefore, a particularly enticing target. [1]:1523, The rest of the enemy efforts in the Da Nang area and TAOR were about as haphazard and relatively ineffective as the fight on the unnamed island. The United States Air Force took control of the base in the late 1960s. Today, several areas on the Da Nang Base including the loading, storage and mixing areas and Sen Lake to the north and the Pacer Ivy area at the south of the base have been confirmed to have . 180 Da Nang Air Base Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Creative Editorial Video Creative Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 180 Da Nang Air Base Premium High Res Photos Browse 180 da nang air base stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Narrative: Possibly the worst ground aviation accident of Vietnam War occurs on March 23 1967 at Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, when traffic controller clears US Marine Corps Grumman A-6A Intruder, BuNo 152608, of VMA(AW)-242, MAG-11, for takeoff, but also clears USAF Lockheed C-141A-LM Starlifter, 65-9407, of the 62nd Military Airlift Wing, McChord AFB, Washington, to cross runway. According to Marine intelligence sources, Rummage may well "have rendered a reinforced battalion combat ineffective, forcing the enemy to modify his plans at a critical time." Air Force rocket attacks in Vietnam Share 9 posts gleyhjr 44 Aug 30, 2010 #1 The following link is a list of all rocket attacks on Air Bases by date: Hope this helps someone needing a stressor of a rocket attack on a Air Base http://www.afhra.af.mil/timelines/index.asp George Binh Thuy AB RVN Sept 1968-Sept 1969 JimM44 683 The Snack Bar was halfway between the barracks and Base Comm. It wrapped around the base and city. PAVN/VC gunners then replied with a mortar barrage, which resulted in two Marine dead and two wounded. This fighting would continue in a desultory fashion throughout the night. The rocket attacks resulted in the deaths of three Marines and the wounding of another 11. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The Marine staff speculated that the enemy launched the mortar attacks largely as a cover for the rocket attacks against Marble Mountain. Company L, 3/5 Marines set up blocking positions on the east bank of the Yen. He was killed in action on January 21, 1968, during the Battle of Khe Sanh in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam. Da Nang, the main Seabee base in the I Corps area, which bordered North Vietnam, came under repeated attack from Viet Cong and North Vietnamese regulars. 149 likes. In the northern sector of Da Nang, PAVN/VC main force troops entered Nam O once again and killed the hamlet chief. Stationed with 1882n Comm Gp., 1969-1970, worked in the Base Comm Center. He seems to think there was only one rocket attack at Da Nang in 1972. [1]:153, The attack on the western perimeter was probably the most serious thrust against Marine positions on the day and evening of 30 January. During the Cuban missile crisis, the U.S. Marine Corps deployed a Hawk air defense missile battery from the 3d Light Antiaircraft Missile (LAAM) Battalion to Guantnamo Bay, Cuba, to protect the U.S. naval base from a surprise low-level air attack by Soviet and Cuban aircraft. Tony Dostal arrived in Vietnam at the Air Force Base in Da Nang aboard a C-141 transport plane on Friday, Aug. 30, 1968. It was decided that two battalions from the Americal Division code-named Task Force Miracle would be moved into the northern sector of the 3/5 Marines near Route 1 south of the Cau Do. Advisory Group at Da Nang, the PFs and RFs accounted for eight dead VC and captured one wounded VC. Apparently the forces were a mixed group from several different units interspersed together. Davis notified the division headquarters of his findings. By 11:00, Marine helicopters evacuated the most seriously wounded and brought in the rest of Company G into blocking positions on the western bank of the Yn. With the departure of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines in mid-January for Phu Bai Combat Base, the 3/7 Marines extended its area of operations to include An Hoa Combat Base to the south. According to the prisoner accounts, they were from the PAVN 3rd Battalion, 31st Regiment and confirmed that "Da Nang itself was the ultimate objective. On the afternoon of 7 February Marine helicopters deployed the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment into the hamlet of Duong Son (1) (155852N 1081124E / 15.981N 108.190E / 15.981; 108.190) 2km south of Cau Do. Robertson remembered that "the ceasefire was to be in effect and the regimental commanders reported intense fire from the enemy and requested authority to continue artillery fire, if necessary" Robertson granted the request and then "about 18:40 we got the word from III MAF that the ceasefire had been called off.[1]:142, For some time, the American forces had been aware that the PAVN/VC was about to launch some type of major offensive. Its two runways accommodated a take-off or landing every 60 seconds. Photographer: Unknown Nng Air Base, AKA: Rocket City, often had more than six Silk-Moons of false dawn orbiting the base. 1969. While successfully beating back the PAVN attack, the CAP leader called for help. [1]:160, By this time, Robertson was worried about the ability to contain the PAVN/VC offensive south of Da Nang. DaNang Air Base was known as "rocket city" for the number of attacks that occurred there between 1965 and 1973. On 14 February 1965 the Marine 1st LAAM Battalion established its anti-aircraft operations center colocated with the USAF CRP. Both the 2/3 Marines to the east of the Army task force and the 3/5 Marines to the south, also reported relatively little enemy activity in their sectors. West runway cratered, east runway open. Approximately at 02:00, about four of the 122mm rockets fell in or near the compound, one landing near the 1st Cavalry Division helipad temporarily located there, damaging four of the helicopters, but resulting in no Marine or Army casualties. Lm arrived at the headquarters compound shortly after dawn. "[1]:163 *** The first time that rockets were used in the Republic of Vietnam by the Viet Cong/North Vietnamese Army. We had played cards the night before and he was so happy he had survived his year in . At Da Nang, III MAF knew that the PAVN/VC were on the move. In the Da Nang Vital Area, the artillery regiment, the 11th Marine Regiment, continued to oversee the Northern Sector Defense Command and the 1st Tank Battalion, the Southern Sector Defense Command. From the recovery of Lam's notebook and a detailed sketch map of Hill 10, the location of the 1/7 Marines' command post, the R-20 commander was obviously on an exploration mission to discover any vulnerability in the Marine battalion's defences. Two attached U .S. About 50 minutes later, another recon team, Air Hose, about 2,000 meters to the northeast of Saddle Bag, saw more than 50 enemy troops moving eastward. . Given also the enemy rocket threat, he still needed to maintain extensive patrols in the so-called Rocket Belt. Milantoni replied, "General Lm just gave it. Because of the location of Hill 65, just above Route 4 about 4,000 meters west of the district town of i Lc and below Charlie Ridge (155610N 1080542E / 15.936N 108.095E / 15.936; 108.095), where the VC had heavy machine gun emplacements which precluded any helicopter lift, the Marine company had to make the move on foot. Caught east of the Cm L Bridge and Highway 1, on a small island formed by the convergence of the Cu , a small tributary of the river and the Vien Dien River, the VC turned to fight. Since you were there, Colonel, you can verify that there were no fewer than 26 rocket attacks on the Da Nang. They later found four PAVN dead. The PAVN 2nd Division still remained intact, but was not about to renew the offensive. The fighting within the compound continued until daylight. Twenty rockets fell on Hill 10, manned by Battery G , 3/11 Marines which resulted in 23 casualties, including two dead. [1]:160, The fighting continued during the night and into the next day. CAP Q-4 there continued to hold out. In one contact about 16:45, Company M, 3/5 Marines met a force of 100 PAVN/VC troops. Rockey, the 3/5 Marines commander, commented on the "increasing frequency and ferocity" of enemy contacts. In the initial fighting for Ha Vang, the South Vietnamese and Americans accounted for 25 VC dead. The U.S Marine Corps Fighter Squadron VMF (AW) 232, also based here, lost some of its F-8E Crusader aircraft in this attack. At in Bn, the 51st Regiment reinforced by the ROKMC contained the attack. Still photo images extracted from the vintage footage are also available for immediate download. Bringing up two artillery platoons , the ARVN gunners lowered their pieces and fired pointblank at the VC. Nha Trang Air Base is a military airfield in Vietnam, located 1.7 miles (2.7 km) northwest of Nha Trang in Khnh Ha Province. That same day, the 1st Marine Division notified III MAF that "usually reliable sources" told of staging areas south of Da Nang for an impending attack. Lost him to a rocket attack. About 07:45 approximately two companies or a reinforced company from the PAVN 31st Regiment ambushed a Marine platoon from Company G, 2/3 Marines. Later that night, the 1/7 Marines reported 15 secondary explosions from Marine counter-mortar artillery fire. No rockets fell on the main airbase but Marble Mountain sustained some damage. Rockey then directed Company G of the 3rd Marines, also attached to him, to move up along the banks of the Bau Xau River toward a blocking position southwest of the ARVN base to seal any escape route in that direction. In the resulting engagement, Company E killed about 13 VC from the Q-55th Local Force Company, which normally operated in the area. The Front announced that the 1968 Tt greeting of "Chairman Ho [Chi Minh] is actually a combat order for our entire Army and population. In the town itself, 10 civilians caught in the crossfire, sustained wounds, but no civilians died as a result of the battle. [1]:143, While the PAVN/VC concentrated their forces for the large offensive, many of these units suffered from too many rapid replacements and in some cases from poor morale. [1]:153, South of the Hi Vn Pass, in the northern portion of the Da Nang TAOR, in the 2/7 Marines sector, the PAVN were able to close Highway 1 temporarily, but failed to penetrate Allied defenses. The attack started at 12:25 AM and an estimated 50 rounds of 122mm rockets were fired at the installation. South Vietnamese and Korean casualties probably equalled or slightly exceeded the U.S. losses. Entering the town from the southwest, the VC fired about 70 RPGs at the local forces, but never penetrated the defender's perimeter. NASM.2018.0025 Pictures of Danang 11. He remembered that because of the number of casualties his battalion sustained, "it was necessary to employ administrative personnel on patrols" with "clerks, cooks, and drivers" on line. The RF/PF suffered 1 PF killed and 10 wounded. Da Nang Air Base was one of the major air bases used for offensive air operations within South Vietnam and for the support of USMC and ARVN forces. If we went a week without a few rockets coming we knew something was in the works. a-~_ -~ ijsafss 0 w 86 i jun !17 history of 6994th security squadron WASHINGTON The White House warned that the U.S. may consider a military response to the rocket attack that hit an air base in western Iraq where American and coalition troops are . According to Marine sources, the heavy action on this small island resulted in 102 VC killed, 88 prisoners of war, 13 VC suspects and 70 laborers. This information should also include any information involving plane crashes at the Da Nang base in early 1968. These included Hills 65 and 52 manned by companies of the 3/7 Marines in the southwestern part of the TAOR and Hill 41 defended by Company D, 1/7 Marines in the central western sector. One sapper was captured. Freedom Hill 327 can be seen beneath the left flare, with convoy lights winding up the perimeter road. [1]:157, In other sectors of the Da Nang TAOR, the PAVN/VC also maintained the pressure on the Allied forces. I called all the regiments and battalions and the same was happening to them. The attacks were repulsed by combined United States Marine Corps (USMC), United States Army, Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and Republic of Korea Marine Corps (ROKMC) forces with the PAVN/VC suffering heavy losses. 1969. "We carried bullet clips in our pockets, but no weapons, because the rifle boxes were nailed shut in their shipping crates. from Vice: That day, Mr. Trump hosted a ceremony to honor law enforcement officials who had provided security for the inauguration. The nickname for DaNang was "Rocket City" garnering that appellation from the frequent attacks on it by means of the "Katyusha" which is the name given the Soviet BM-21 122mm artillery rocket. An alert ARVN sentry took the VC under fire near the flagpole. Immediately after the artillery shelling, an AC47 Spooky arrived on station and worked over the same area with its Gatling guns. The 3/5 Marines were landed and immediately came under heavy automatic and small arms fire from the island. [ Bob Kaatman photo ] One of the first caches of bombs to explode. 29/30 January 1968 Marine counter-rocket fire from the 11th Marines and 1st Tank Battalion resulted in five secondary explosions. At first light, a Marine reaction force found enemy blood trails. About 09:00, Lieutenant Colonel Rockey, the 3/5 Marines commander, ordered a small command group and two companies, Company M of his battalion and Company F, 2/3 Marines attached to his command, to the relief of the ARVN camp. [1]:156, The Da Nang Northern Sector Defense Command dispatched a provisional company to assist the CAP Marines as well as the security detachment. Two of the mortar attacks hit the 1st Cavalry Division helipad near the Force Logistic Command area in the Red Beach Base Area destroying two helicopters and damaging eight others and killing one U.S . On 29 January, Marine intelligence officers received a reliable report that the PAVN 2nd Division also had established its command post in western G Ni. Robertson later compared the enemy activity that night to a "10-ring circus." The rockets destroyed five aircraft, nine items of ground equipment, two vehicles, and one warehouse outright. The fighting during the preceding week had drawn down the strength of the ARVN and the two Marine battalions and the PAVN 2nd Division still had uncommitted units that it could throw into the fray. Robertson observed that the delay of the 2nd Division into the picture may have been because the PAVN forces "got their signals mixed " The VC were supposed to be inside "when the [PAVN] division came marching down main street. The artillery fired another salvo, which caused a large secondary explosion. Pictures of Danang 9. Army personnel were wounded. Heavy explosions and fires on the base. [1]:154, At about 19:00 another reconnaissance patrol, Recon Team Rummage, about 30 kilometers south of Da Nang in the Qu Sn Mountains below An Ha, spotted a column of about 40 PAVN at the head of even a larger column moving east along a trail. The remaining rocket attacks were ineffective. This apparently broke the back of the VC resistance. The Marine squad was about to establish a night ambush site when a PAVN force of about 100 fired upon them. It also served to block one of the principal avenues of approach to Da Nang from the south. [1]:1478, The Marine response to the bombardments was rapid, the 11th Marines artillery units "initiated counter-rocket fires" at suspected avenues of approach. [1]:159, While from 15 February, the PAVN/VC ground assaults on Marine positions appeared to diminish , Marine spotters in the tower on Hill 55 reported the constant movement of small groups of enemy troops in the western portion of the ROKMC area of operations. It was a helicopter facility that was constructed in August 1965 and served as home to Marine Aircraft Group 16 (MAG-16), the 5th Special Forces Group and an assortment of other squadrons until May 1971. Within the city itself, VC cadre were to force the "inhabitants into the street for demonstrations and prepare the people for continuing political struggle against the government as well as kill GVN and ARVN cadre. He ordered the 3rd Amphibian Tractor Battalion to form a blocking position on the southeastern bank of the Vien Dien River. During the next few days, Task Force Miracle conducted sweeps in its sector and encountered relatively little resistance . Again the artillery responded with "excellent effect on target." Robertson later praised the Security and Communications platoons of the 1st Marine Division Headquarters Battalion for their efforts in the defense. . Among the casualties were two Marines killed, including Lieutenant Manning and six wounded from the 1st MP Battalion. Large numbers of flares shot high into the air and burst into . You get your timing off and you've got problems. At first, the general and his steward confused the rockets with the traditional fireworks shot off in honor of Tt. [1]:157, About 5,000 meters to the northwest, later that night, a squad from Company C, 1/7 Marines encountered an enemy force possibly from the same PAVN regiment. With covering fire provided by 81mm and 82mm mortars, about a reinforced company reached the I Corps headquarters compound actually located within the city of Da Nang just outside the northern perimeter of the Air Base. Material and equipment losses, however, were much more extensive. Naval Support Activity Danang operated extensive logistics facilities on the Tiensha (Tin Sa) peninsula east of the city. However, because we did not have a firm grasp on the situation, our preparations had been cursory, the movement of our forces forward to seize attack positions had not been well organized and because enemy forces were too numerous and responded fiercely when we attacked, the forces that attacked the city on the night of 29-30 January were unable to seize their assigned objectives. Beginning their attack about 03:00, two companies of the V-25th Battalion used the noise of firecrackers set off and general firing by Tt celebrants to cover their approach. This should include information pertaining to the rocket and mortar attacks at the Da Nang Air base from April 1967 to May 1968, to include any attacks occurring on or about July 14, 1967. Only the 7th Marines to the west experienced an increase in incidents as PAVN/VC troops moved through the western TAOR to return to their mountain strongholds in Base Area 114 and through Charlie Ridge into Happy Valley. . Firing 290 105mm shells, the tractor artillery reportedly killed about 80 of the PAVN attackers caught in the open. Liked the Oriental rock bands came to the Club: The RPGs missed the apertures in the tower and fell to the ground. 1969. III Marine Amphibious Force (III MAF) had its headquarters at Hill 327 west of the Air Base, while ARVN I Corps had its headquarters north of the Air Base. Scheduled to last eight weeks, Rolling Thunder will instead go on for three years. Click here to view those.. Update: 12 December 2020. Although the Koreans and ARVN in a combined operation finally cleared Hi An, PAVN/VC units to the west south, and north of the city continued to press the attack. by Edward H. Phillips 2/1/2017. Covered revetments to protect F-4s from rocket attacks -1969 [ Bob Kaatman photo ] American down as Marines arrive on scene just outside perimeter of DaNang AFB. Note: Dick previously sent us some Stars and Stripes clippings mentioning rocket attacks and other "newsworthy items" of the day. The Sequence number refers to the sequence number assigned to all attacks on ten primary US Air Force operating bases in Vietnam. Sector of Da Nang robertson later compared the enemy rocket threat, he still needed maintain... January 1968 mixed Group from several different units interspersed together something was in the so-called rocket Belt captured... Equipment losses, however, were much more extensive reinforce the ARVN gunners their. On target. on Hill 10, manned by Battery G, 3/11 Marines which resulted two... V-25Th, R-20th, C-130th battalions and the wounding of another 11 before he! Nine items of ground equipment, two vehicles, and one warehouse outright three Marines and Q-15th! The `` increasing frequency and ferocity '' of enemy contacts, in other sectors of the missiles! Click here to view those.. 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